A former University of Memphis student gave a total stranger the ultimate Valentine – her kidney. Twenty-three-year-old Heather Biggs learned about Jaquilyn Shaw, 8, in a Thanksgiving Day The Jackson Sun article. Jaquilyn was born with one kidney and received daily, nine-hour dialysis treatments. Her story inspired Biggs to reach out to Jaquilyn and offer a life-changing gift. 

On Valentines Day, Jaquilyn underwent kidney transplant surgery at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital where she is now recovering. 

Le Bonheur houses a transplant surgery program that performs liver, kidney and multi-organ transplants. In conjunction with surgeons at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute, the program employs two transplant coordinators who work with children and their families throughout the transplant process. They also follow the donor recipients until they are 18 years of age.

If you are interested in being an organ donor, contact the Mid-South Transplant Foundation. In the event you or someone you know would like to explore being a living donor like Biggs, please contact the living donor coordinator at the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute at (901) 516-8466.

Many times, parents ask the question: “what is the difference between an “outie” and an “innie” belly button?” We went straight to the expert to find the answer. Dr. Trey Eubanks, chief of Surgery and medical director of Trauma Services for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, gives our readers the real truth about belly buttons. Here’s what Dr. Eubanks had to say:

Parents often ask if their child’s belly button’s appearance, otherwise an “innie” or an “outie,” is determined by the method of which their obstetrician cuts and ties the cord. The umbilicus, or belly button, is actually not formed by the obstetrician.  The obstetrician does cut the umbilical cord at birth, but that's it.  What happens next is what sets up the appearance of the umbilical cord for life.  The remaining umbilical cord, after having been cut, has no blood supply to keep it alive, so it dies and subsequently falls off the infant.  Cleaning of the site is all that is needed for the umbilical cord insertion site to heal and form the umbilicus.

The difference between an “innie” and an “outie” belly button has nothing to do with management of the umbilical cord at birth.  Most people who have an “outie” fall into one of two categories: either they were born with a tiny umbilical hernia, which is most likely, or had a small infection at the base of the umbilical cord that went unnoticed. This will cause unusual tissue called granulation tissue to form. Later in life, this looks like a knot or polyp of skin protruding from the base of the umbilicus.

The only concern with an “outie” belly button is if it is caused by an umbilical hernia.  If so, there is a small risk of incarceration, which is when abdominal contents get stuck in the hernia sac, potentially causing a surgical emergency.  However, most umbilical hernias are no more than just a nuisance.

Parents ask me many times if “outies” can be fixed. The answer is yes, and the decision to fix one should be based on the presence and size of the umbilical hernia. If a child is born with an “outie” belly button, there is a 90 percent chance that it will close on its own by the time the child turns 5 years old.  However, if the defect is not closed by age 5, the chances are much less that it will ever close completely. Of course, as a child grows into adulthood, the “outie” can and usually does become less noticeable.

June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month, and at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, we see 465 patients each year with scoliosis – a condition where the spine has a side to side curvature greater than 10 degrees. Pediatric Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner Leslie Rhodes, MSN, PNP-BC, says that because scoliosis causes no pain, it can be hard to detect with an untrained eye.

Signs of Scoliosis
Most scoliosis patients that Le Bonheur sees are referred by their primary care physician who has detected a slight curve at the child’s annual exam. But there are a few things parents can do to watch for scoliosis.

Rhodes says to have your child stand up straight and look at his or her shoulders and hips. If the spine is curved, one shoulder might be higher than the other. Hips might might be unaligned, too. You can also have your child bend over at the waist while standing to look for a slight hump near the ribcage. This is also a sign of scoliosis.

“I tell my patients that having scoliosis doesn’t hinder you from being a normal kid,” said Rhodes. “They can still play sports and do all the things their friends do.”

Treatment
However, scoliosis must be monitored over time. The most common type of scoliosis does not require any treatment. Curvatures ranging from 10-25 degrees are observed frequently with X-rays to assess for curve progression. If the curve progresses to 25 degrees or greater, a brace – worn 23 hours a day – is the first line of treatment. Though it won’t fix the spine’s curve, it might prevent it from worsening.  If the curvature worsens to 50 degrees or greater, surgery might be necessary.

Visit our website to learn more about the Campbell Clinic Spine Center at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital.